Chapter Five: Departure

Three months can be considered both long and short. After three months of preparation, today was finally the day Zhang Desen had been waiting for—departure day.

It was 6:30 in the morning on December 5th, 2018. Zhang Desen was having his breakfast before setting out. As he ate, his mind wandered through the details of the equipment General Li Guoshou had introduced to him for this mission.

Some of the gear was familiar, but much of it was entirely new to him—refreshing and intriguing. The list was extensive; besides the standard equipment for special forces, there were additional, specialized items.

One such device was a solar-powered cosmic navigation wristband, designed to indicate interstellar directions so that travelers would know which way to go and avoid getting lost in the vastness of space.

There was also a very unusual gun—similar in size and appearance to the Type 95 assault rifle Zhang Desen often used, but it did not fire ordinary bullets. Instead, it had a small magazine with a large energy capacity.

You read that correctly—the magazine stored electricity.

It functioned as a solar cell, charging automatically when exposed to sunlight or similar artificial light sources. Compact yet powerful, it fully charged in just an hour, though charging time varied with alternative light sources.

Zhang Desen was issued five such batteries and several backup guns, allowing for emergencies. The barrel of this gun was twice the size of an ordinary Type 95, and it fired microwave projectiles.

This was a miniaturized microwave weapon—also known as a radio-frequency or electromagnetic pulse weapon—capable of damaging and destroying targets with high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most microwave weapons were large and unwieldy, but this one was compact yet extremely powerful, with adjustable output.

It was meant as a precaution for unexpected troubles Zhang Desen might encounter in another universe—better safe than sorry.

General Li Guoshou had repeatedly warned him: some of these weapons were too destructive to be used carelessly.

The microwave weapon, in particular, could not only paralyze advanced electronic equipment but, when set to a certain output, could ignore any defense or armor, directly injuring personnel inside. Any living thing exposed to the microwave beam would not survive.

However, there was another weapon that could be used freely—the Aeltaser gun.

This device, when fired, sent an electrical current into its target, delivering a measured shock that incapacitated but did not kill. Its current was distinct from household electricity, requiring no high voltage for transmission. It could penetrate two or three layers of clothing and reach a few millimeters beneath the skin, affecting the nervous system to cause involuntary muscle spasms within five to seven minutes, subduing dangerous individuals without harming operatives or hostages.

The electric arc had a short range, so collateral damage was avoided. Because of its effectiveness, such weapons were often used by counterterrorism teams to deal with hijackers, ensuring the safety of other passengers.

Zhang Desen’s Aeltaser was also equipped with five interchangeable solar batteries.

In addition, Zhang Desen received some agricultural equipment—custom-made for the mission. With it, he could grow food aboard the ship or in confined spaces, ensuring sustainability during his travels.

To Zhang Desen’s surprise, among the supplies were two large crates filled with small, pure 24-karat gold bars. He was puzzled, but General Li Guoshou explained: since they did not know what era the Earth in that universe was in, gold would serve as an ideal universal equivalent should Zhang Desen need to barter for resources in an emergency.

This explanation reassured him.

Another unexpected revelation concerned his comrade, Tang Shijie. Previously, Tang had been recalled to China ahead of schedule, assigned to this very mission. Impatient with the wait, Tang had sneaked aboard a still-testing spacecraft. That ship was only meant for travel tests to another universe and carried only a test animal—a chimpanzee named Number 35.

Tang Shijie, unnoticed by the guards, stowed away and journeyed with the test ship to the target multiverse.

General Li Guoshou’s team learned of this only later, via security footage. They were both anxious and angry but could do nothing. Now, Zhang Desen’s mission included a rescue operation.

Fortunately, although it was a test ship, it could send distress signals. As long as its power supply remained intact, the signal could be traced to locate the ship.

After reflecting on these details, Zhang Desen finished his breakfast.

After a short rest, at 9:30 a.m., it was finally time to head to the launchpad. Zhang Desen, accompanied by members of the military police, made his way there.

Upon arrival, Zhang Desen realized the launchpad was underground—the entire approach had been subterranean. He almost wanted to ask about the weather outside.

He soon spotted General Li Guoshou waiting for him and approached. The general shook his hand, saying, “Captain Zhang, after your simulator training, you must be quite proficient at operating the spacecraft by now?”

“Yes,” Zhang Desen replied.

“Excellent. This small vessel was originally designed for a crew of three, but now you’ll be going alone, so you’ll have plenty of space,” Li Guoshou continued, pointing to a massive machine. “When the Multiverse Travel Engine is activated, it will send your ship to the designated universe, landing you on an Earth much like our own. As you know, as long as the ship has power, you can activate its antigravity system and travel anywhere.”

“I understand, but why does it have a manual generator?” Zhang Desen asked.

Li Guoshou chuckled. “The reason is simple,” he said earnestly, pointing to the ship’s design plans. “It’s for emergencies. The primary system is solar power, which works as long as there’s sunlight. Based on existing data, the environment you’re going to should resemble Earth's, and you might even meet alternate versions of ourselves.”

He turned to Zhang Desen and continued, “But you could encounter bad weather—rainy days, for instance. In that case, you can use the air-powered generator, which also works with water or geothermal energy. It’s very versatile. Still, just in case, there’s the manual generator. It’s slow, but better than nothing if all else fails.”

“I understand,” Zhang Desen replied.

“All right, only twenty minutes left before ten o’clock. Board the ship now; the rest of the crew is clearing out. We’ve also stocked extra spare parts for repairs, should anything go wrong with the ship or your equipment. Good luck.”

“Understood!”

The team opened the door for Zhang Desen, who entered the spacecraft and sealed himself inside.

As the ground crew finished their withdrawal, the countdown to launch drew near. Tension filled the air.

At last, the launch bay doors opened, revealing a cloudless blue sky and brilliant sunshine—matching Zhang Desen’s mood.

The countdown began. The broadcast echoed:

“Five.”

“Four.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One—launch!”

A massive beam of light enveloped the ship, lifting it swiftly skyward, propelling it into the vast, uncharted multiverse.

What challenges awaited Zhang Desen? Would he perhaps be confronted by another version of himself? No one could say.